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OK, now that you mentioned them, yes, I have heard of them... but I would not have thought of the name myself. But since you brought them up, I believe they are a New Jersey team. I also remember that they played a part in a few Seinfeld episodes (Elaine was dating someone that was a fan of the Devils I believe). So I knew about the team, but completely forgot about them until now.

[Quote by: Dr. Hoo] TWO NY teams?!? As someone who spent the first 10 years of my life living in Buffalo, I have to remind you that NY is bigger than the actual city! Let us not forget the Buffalo Sabres please!

Although I don't personally follow hockey anymore, we moved to Florida when I was 10 and it's hard to ice skate down there because it keeps melting!

Don't be so hard on Louis, as he admitted himself that he would not be able to name any other teams.

But then again, Florida has two NHL teams... right in your backyard! Go to see them play when the Sabres are down there. The Sabres are a top 5 team this year and fun to watch, if you don't mind seeing your favorite team (if you're not a Sabre fan) struggle to keep up with them.

Taras

I'd like to just quickly point out how wierd it still feels to me that there is hockey below the Mason-Dixon line. Yeah, a lot of teams from the south have won the Cup and do quite well. But as a lifelong pond hockey player (and a season ticket holder to both the North Stars - before they fled south to avoid rape charges against the owner - and Wild), it just continues to feel strange that native Floridians and Texans "get" hockey and enjoy it. Just being bias, I know......

[Quote by: tarashnat] And here I thought I successfully hijacked this thread and converted it to an ice hockey thread. I'm even willing to discuss the bmibaby Elite League, though I know little of the UK's top pro league.

Unfortunately the Elite League is not the most stable one around. The sponsorship and teams have tended to change year to year. In some markets teams have done well but in other not so much.

Mike

"There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought."

[Quote by: tarashnat] And here I thought I successfully hijacked this thread and converted it to an ice hockey thread. I'm even willing to discuss the bmibaby Elite League, though I know little of the UK's top pro league.

Unfortunately the Elite League is not the most stable one around. The sponsorship and teams have tended to change year to year. In some markets teams have done well but in other not so much.

Maybe they should feature the Cardiff Devils in a Torchwood episode if it makes it to a second series and if the Elite League is still around...

[Quote by: mad4plaid] I'd like to just quickly point out how wierd it still feels to me that there is hockey below the Mason-Dixon line. Yeah, a lot of teams from the south have won the Cup and do quite well. But as a lifelong pond hockey player (and a season ticket holder to both the North Stars - before they fled south to avoid rape charges against the owner - and Wild), it just continues to feel strange that native Floridians and Texans "get" hockey and enjoy it. Just being bias, I know......

In Toronto season tickets are almost an impossiblity. If there is a waiting list I wouldn't get to the top within my lifetime. I've heard when season ticket holders do drop out from tiem to time the tickets now go back into the main pool since it's so tough to get tickets here. Every September the entire years allotment of tickets goes on sale all 41 home games sell out in a matter of minutes. There hasn't been a single unseld seat in decades.

I'm lucky to get tickets to a couple of games a year. If I want to see a game I'm better off going to another city. I hope to see a game while I'm in NYC later thsi month. Checking online I see plenty of good seats available for the game happening while I'm there.

I'm happy for there to be teams anywhere that there are fans to enjoy and support the team. The Stars have received great support in Dallas from Day One. I get bothered when teams go to cities that don;t really care or don't support the team and the only reason is a real estate deal or a tax write-off.

I heard a funny story this week about Ilya Kovalchuk havng dinner at a restaurant in Atlanta where not only did the waiter not know how he was or who the Thrashers were, he had never even heard of the sport before. Pretyt sad for one of the best teams in the league this year.

Mike

"There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought."

Well, I'm lucky enough to get to go to about 8 games per season. I'm going to see the Penguins take on the Rangers at MSG tomorrow for the second time this season. I've also seen the Preds and the aforementioned Thrashers. Then one game per month for the rest of the season (Sens, Habs, Flyers, & Leafs). I'm sorry that it's easier for me to see the Leafs... Which game are you looking at seeing?

There's no excuse for Atlanta, as the Thrashers are the second NHL team to play hockey in that town. The Flames were a tough opponent in the old Patrick division. But it's good for a pro athlete to have some anonymity every now and again.

[Quote by: tarashnat]I thought the story was about Hossa... comparing Ottawa to Atlanta.

You are correct! Ottawa is not the greatest hockey town in the world but it'll never be that bad. I've been up there for the playoffs before. It was actually cheaper to buy two good seats, buy gas, drive five hours, stay in a hotel and see the game there than buy two similar tickets here in Toronto. That is if I could actually buy tickets in Toronto without going through a scalper. I've only even seen one playoff game at home but I've been on the road to Ottawa, Buffalo and Montreal in the past.

[Quote by: tarashnat]Well, I'm lucky enough to get to go to about 8 games per season. I'm going to see the Penguins take on the Rangers at MSG tomorrow for the second time this season. I've also seen the Preds and the aforementioned Thrashers. Then one game per month for the rest of the season (Sens, Habs, Flyers, & Leafs). I'm sorry that it's easier for me to see the Leafs... Which game are you looking at seeing?

Nice! I was busy on the morning that tickets were on sale so I've not seen any games at all so far this year. By this point last year I'd seen two games in Toronto and one in Montreal. I'm looking at going to see the Devils-Penguins on December 26th. The Rangers-Islanders are playing in Long Island while I'm there as well but I can only imagine how much of a hassle it would be for me to get to the Nassau Coliseum.

Mike

"There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought."

[Quote by: tarashnat]
And here I thought I successfully hijacked this thread and converted it to an ice hockey thread. I'm even willing to discuss the bmibaby Elite League, though I know little of the UK's top pro league.

Well, I can tell you that it seems to be shaky at best. A good friend of mine played for the London, England team last year - before it folded mid-season - and it seems they were only playing in an 800 seat arena in London. I know that Theoren Fleury (former NY Ranger, etc) was playing for Belfast last year but was still battling his alcoholism. Seems like a weird move for an alcoholic - move to Northern Ireland to play hockey...

Ice hockey takes up most of my spare time in the winter. One of my freelance jobs is as a beat reporter for our local arts weekly on our local AHL hockey team, the Hamilton Bulldogs. The 'dogs are the farm team for the Montreal Canadiens, the most successful team in NHL history. For the past three years I have been to 95% of their home games (42 a year) and a number in Western NY too. By the way, there are a number of great AHL teams in New York - Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton - and I find this hockey generally more exciting than the NHL in the regular season.
On top of that I also skate with a local team in a Toronto based music industry league - www.exclaimhockey.ca

However, I'd really like to have a new episode of Podshock to go along with my busy winter of hockey (and getting new albums ready for release in the spring at my real job)...